Tag White Doesn’t Mean Racist

You may have seen my Facebook post in the last year or so regarding my run in with Black History Supporters and the blatant disregard I received for being light skinned. If not? Here’s the below post verbatim.

I’ve gone past the same black guy handing out Black History pamphlets every morning in the freezing cold.

Today, being polite I thought I’d stop and get one. He said I could have one for a donation of my choice. I offered $1, he then said it was a minimum donation of $3??? This was just off putting.

At this point mum came over to get me moving (we’re off for coffee), a second older black guy tried to collar her by saying;

“It’s okay for white people to support black people!”

For some reason my response was…

“She is! She gave birth to me!!”

This second guy looked so offended. Like I’m not black enough for his cause. Like my light skin just wasn’t the shade he could preach about.

#OhWellHisLoss #MyHistoryAsWell

The reason I’m bringing it up again, is because it’s happened again(!)

This time it wasn’t as insulting and I could laugh it off as they appeared to mean nothing by it? But it still gets to me on a certain level. It makes me question why it’s so different here on the other side of the Atlantic.

Where are we going ‘right’ that others are going so ‘wrong’. [I’m being overly broad with right and wrong, but I’m venting, so whatever].

Again, I’m walking with my Mums – this time through Time Square (before it was Union St. in Toronto) – anyway, as I pull ahead, I hear

“Don’t be afraid to shake the hand of a negro!”

I turn back and this dude has collared my mum to get her to buy his ‘music’. Hopeing my mums don’t say anything that can be taken the wrong way, I track back and hear

“I’m not afraid to shake the hand of a Negro!!?! I’m from London!”

OMG! I near panicked my little heart out. My mum just said negro… back away mum, back away!!!

At this point I’m speeding up and doing the WTF is this dude on? Smile. Smile and walk way 😬

Seriously though, do I attract people with racial chips on their shoulders? Is there some sign I’m unaware of that just shouts out ‘SAY SOMETHING RACIALLY INSENSITIVE, I WON’T MIND 😒’.

Short story short? I just don’t get the racial prominence on this side of the pond. I know I’ve been racially and sexually marginalised as I’ve grown up, but it’s not something that I deal with on a day to day basis. It’s not thrown in my face, and whilst I’m aware and very much care about the current political climate, I don’t feel like I’m part of it, if that makes sense. I watch it, I absorb it and then I move on.